Livestock

The animals are grazed on environmentally sensitive areas (ESA). Heckingham Hall is a 500 acre arable farm in south Norfolk. The farm cycle is for cattle to graze on the marshes, arable operations to provides straw and feed for the livestock and crops like malting barley and sugar beet to be sold. The 200 arable acres are covered by Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) agreements which mean there are six-metre margins around all fields plus wild bird mixes and nectar pollen mixes, summer fallow and over-winter stubbles, which are great for wildlife. This means that there are large flocks of birds including English partridge, marsh harriers, lapwings, kingfishers, barn owls and little owls.Grazing marshes make up the remaining 300 acres of land, which are mainly Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA). The farm is self-sufficient in animal feed from silage taken from the marshes.